


hiding in plain sight

by ignatiuscrose



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Lesbian Character, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Comfort/Angst, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Lesbians, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vampires, Victorian era, and ones a vampire!, it's barely there, vampire, victorian lesbians y'all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:48:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26639113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignatiuscrose/pseuds/ignatiuscrose
Summary: Henrietta tried to hide it.It was increasingly hard though, when she was frequently leaving bed before the break of dawn, rushing to the nearest bathroom, and retching into whatever she got to first.
Relationships: Henri/Emmi, Henrietta Klein & Émilienne de Charbonneau, Henrietta Klein/Marquise de Charbonneau, Henrietta Klein/Émilienne de Charbonneau
Kudos: 6





	hiding in plain sight

Henrietta tried to hide it.

It was increasingly hard though, when she was frequently leaving bed before the break of dawn, rushing to the nearest bathroom, and retching into whatever she got to first.

When she missed her period, she found that the hope she held onto so dearly in her chest shattered, leaving an empty, anxious, terrified void.

And Émilienne knew.

She knew, and she hated it, of course. Jealously burned within her, soul or no soul. But her hate was subdued, never anything as intense as Édouard could be. 

Émilienne knew she did not know the story. She knew, but jealousy still seared through her veins. She knew Henrietta would never be unfaithful on purpose, at least that was the most likely case.

The lack of period, the fetus beginning to grow inside of Henrietta—Émilienne could sense it.

Henrietta took Émilienne's ignorance as true, but Émilienne was simply being kind.

Until, one night, Émilienne gently called Henrietta into the sitting room. She pretended to read as she waited. No wine was set out; she did not want to do that to her Henrietta.

Henrietta was dressed in her evening attire, white nightgown sleeveless, and hair put up and out of her face. No matter what, Émilienne knew she would always find her beautiful. Vibrant, eager to explore what the world had to offer.

Well, she used to be.

The angst was more obvious than Henrietta was aware of, which Émilienne truly did not blame her for. She must be exceedingly stressed; Émilienne was sure Henrietta still did not know what to do, what to think of this.

Henrietta thought, though. 

She found it made her feel disgusted, it filled her with the strongest sense of regret. Deceitful, unfaithful. 

Downright whorish.

These feelings screamed too loudly some nights, that Henrietta found herself often crying as she attempted to fall asleep.

A few times, she felt so filthy that she got up in the middle of the night just to put distance between her and Émilienne. She would go draw a bath, and just beginning scrubbing at her skin. Where she was grabbed. Where she was wronged.

Within just a span of a month, Henrietta became distant, and scared.

" _Mon Amour_ ," Émilienne greeted her love as Henrietta sat down on the couch adjacent to her when she gestured. A tired though warm smile met her soft words.

"Emmie," Henrietta greeted. Émilienne reached and placed the book on the short table, and sat straight.

"I apologize for calling you before bed," Émilienne studied Henrietta in the warm hue of the firelight. Despite her smile, Émilienne could already sense Henrietta's panic.

The woman was quiet for a while after her gaze cast down and away from Henrietta, who started to squirm. 

"We have to talk." Émilienne said as if she decided it then and there. Really, she came to the decision much earlier.

Henrietta was silent. Blinking, searching. Her legs curled up under her, waiting expectantly for Émilienne to continue. But she did not. Wise eyes only looked up at her, almost expecting her to say something.

"About..." It just stopped short of a question to both of them, as Henrietta's mind began to anxiously _race_. She felt her heartbeat hasten as she realized what Émilienne called her in here for.

She knew.

Trembling, tears suddenly streaking her face, Henrietta went off like a bomb—pent up emotions detonated and exploded out.

Loud, violent sobs wracked Henrietta's small body, the most sorrowful wail escaping her throat as she shoved her head into her hands. That sound—that wrapped around Émilienne's heart and _crushed_ it in a vice grip. This was not the cry of a woman who purposely, knowingly committed an act of infidelity. 

"Henrietta," Émilienne said, hurriedly standing and sitting next to the girl who sobbed, and sobbed, and _sobbed_ uncontrollably. She tried to bring Henrietta into her arms, who attempted to push Émilienne away as she hung her head, but gave up and fell against her.

One of Émilienne's slender hands came up and began to rhythmically smooth down across Henrietta's blonde curls, shushing her and pressing a kiss to her hair in an attempt to pacify her. Henrietta buried her face against Émilienne, clutching her bodice as a scared child might. 

"Do you want to talk about it—" Émilienne's eyes widened at the violent shaking Henrietta did of her head, her pained cry of denial.

" _No_ ," she gasped, "no, no, no, _no_..." Henrietta continued to sob, feeling as though she were losing her mind as the pain in her head went from a dull beat to a murderous banging against her skull. "I'm _sorry_..." she whined. That was the last "coherent" thing she said for a while.

Her sobs did not let up, and eventually, she cried so much that tears simply no longer spilled, and she was left taking harsh, ragged breaths. Over, and over, and over again, her throat becoming raw.

Émilienne sat, still holding onto the girl, gently rocking her with her head pressed against Henrietta in some way, shifting from time to time.

Thank whatever greater power, though, when Henrietta's breathing began to break its destructive pattern—loud breaths simmering into the occasional gasp and hiccup. She stared blankly, the side of her face now pressed against Émilienne.

She did not speak for nearly an hour. And Émilienne continued to hold on to her, to comfort her, for that entire time. Even after that.

The fire had died down, casting a deeper, softer haze against the women, mingling with the shadows around.

A noise escaped Henrietta's throat. Émilienne worried that she would start up again.

But instead, she spoke.

"I wanted... I wanted to tell you..." She whispered, a hand coming up to wipe at a tear that spilled from her eye again.

"I was scared—" She sighed. "I had no idea how you would react."

"If you would toss me out." She shook her head.

"I understand if you want to—if you wish for me to leave." Henri sat up, unsteady, away from Émilienne. "I—I can start packing tonight." She rubbed a palm over her eye, then down her tear-stained cheek as she turned away from Émilienne.

" _Non, non, non, non, non,_ " Émilienne shook her head, smoothly slipping off the couch and onto the floor next to Henrietta and placed her arms upon her lap. "Henrietta, _mon_ _amour_."

"You are too good," Émilienne took hold of Henrietta's arms at the elbows, looking up into sad, worried, and tired blue eyes. 

"I am flattered and grateful that you thought of me, but it is not I you must worry about; it is not me that I care about. Right now, it is you that you must worry about right now. I care about you. Your wellbeing, your safety, your happiness." 

Émilienne paused, looking into those eyes; eyes that unintentionally wounded her, but gave her purpose. Her gaze then drifted down to her abdomen, where her hands moved to rest.

"And I'll support you—I'll support you in whatever you decide to do. Whatever you wish to do with the child, Henrietta."

Henrietta shakily grabbed Émilienne's hands, the cool skin comforting against her warm. She felt the tears begin to fall again as she stared into Émilienne's genuine, compassionate gaze.

She curled over the woman, who rose onto her knees and held her, hand running through her kinked hair.

Émilienne simply allowed her to let it out.

That is a difficult thing to deal with, to try and even begin to fathom let alone accept. Henrietta was so young, still learning how the world worked, and Fate suddenly bestowed such a cruel thing upon her.

Émilienne wanted to know the answers to her questions—what happened, how this came to be. Who did this. She wants Henrietta to trust her enough to explain what happened to her.

But Henrietta was not ready to even _procure_ into words that nonfiction.

And Émilienne understood.

So for now, for tonight, and for many more nights, she simply held onto this girl that meant everything to her, with a deep pain, and a deep love residing in her heart for her beloved Henrietta, who drifted off in her arms that night, exhausted.

**Author's Note:**

> im ignoring important because im obsessed and hyperfixated on these VICTORIAN. LESBIANS. HSDAK and life is really stressing me out but in all seriousness if you read all the way to the end tysm 🥺 comments, kudos, all that stuff is crazy appreciated!!!
> 
> my tumblr 🌹: https://ignatiusteto.tumblr.com/
> 
> my partner in crime (emilienne) 🌹: https://faunaproductions.tumblr.com/  
> their ao3 (lots of poto!!) 🌹: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaunaProductions/pseuds/FaunaProductions


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